Thurs April 18 Athens City Walk

Dear readers,

A different Athens today. 

Night and day different. 

A charming, slower tempo-ed, tree lined narrow streets Athens.  

Well-dressed shoppers and business men in elegant suits. 

Upscale shops.

Who would have guessed?

Your impression depends on what your senses take in, which depends on your filter and what you are sensing. We were in different neighborhoods today, and in some same ones as before but during the daytime not the store-front-closed-up after dinner hours. 

Dinner? Last night returned to the Hermion in Plaka for dinner. We are starting to know our way around, don't need to pull out the maps. We enjoyed lunch here earlier, so returned for dinner. Good choice. Casual, open and airy. Ate slow cooked lamb shank in white wine sauce, and some moussaka. Grilled cheese, bread, olive oil. Yogurt and figs and honey. 

Yesterday we were steeped in Ancient Greece. To live here surrounded by 2,500 to 5,000 years of history. Makes the little problems of today seem very little. Focus on what lasts. Love, and enormous marble columns. 

So, up today for our day of Rick Steves' Tour Books' City Walk around Athens plus Agora plus Temple of Zeus. It ended up about 5 miles, in 5 hours. Really a 'City Meander.' He writes up info on the highlights. So we stopped to sit and look and read and look about 15 times in the Meander.   Just delightful, once you get over the fact you are reading out of a tourbook. But they mean so much more when you know something about what you are looking at. And it allows you to stop and take in the atmosphere. Loved it. 

I should also say, you have to get over the fact that you not only look touristy, you look nerdy. That's because you are. I get over stuff like this easily. 

And yes, it was so fun. Took our time. Enjoyed the moments around us. Talked. Sat and looked. So nice not having to rush. 

The Agora, at the end of the tour, closed down at 3... which was a surprise to us. We had already enjoyed some time sitting under the olive trees. And had strolled through the reconstructed Stoa.  So we had to skip Hephastious' Temple. We weren't sad. Had seen plenty of temple ruins. All seems to work out for the best, doesn't it?

Started right across the street, the Parliament. The soldiers guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier cross every 30 minutes. 

You can see our room, on the 6th floor, right under 'ANN' in Hotel's name. 

Precious 12th century Greek Orthodox Church, Church of Kapnikerea, or Church of the Cloth makers. Small, not pretentious. In square (Greek Orthodox). Inside is vibrant (currently being restored, we watched) frescoes depicting Jesus and Saints. Candles have left soot on ceiling and walls. People came in while we were there, to light candles and kiss the icon at the door. No pews, people stood for services. 

Not pretentious. In the presence of the Parthenon, and all the other ancient temples to gods, you get the sense that the Greek Orthodox Church wanted to get away from huge monuments to their God. They wanted to emphasize that Jesus, the Creator of all the Earth, didn't want towering cathedrals. He just wanted us to adore Him. To love Him. And He wants to bless us. The central depiction of Jesus in this tiny treasure has Jesus right above you, in the middle of this perfectly square church. Jesus is looking down on us with a bible in one hand, and his other hand out in blessing. 

Then to the cathedral of all Greek Orthodoxes, which I took photos of yesterday. It is surrounded by scaffolding, which has been there since 1989 earthquake. They don't have money to finish. 24 years. 

Then to its right is this tiny, sparse Agios Eleftherios. When the Christians were evicted from their church in the Parthenon by the Ottomans, in 1200's, they built this from marble they found lying around Athens. Over the door are marble scenes from Ancient Agora building. So much ancient ruins, just take some and build a church.  Even use the marble reliefs of the Agora's design. Add some crosses and rosettes to represent Christianity. Very practical. Makes you smile doesn't it?

Plaka streets. Charming. Just charming. Shops and flowers and pastel stucco buildings with white trim. Marble or stone streets. Narrow. Cars and motorbikes do venture up onto the sidewalks randomly. 













Want a coffee? There's chairs and tables right on the street. Just charming. 

We zipped across to Hadrian's Arch, 132 AD, far more humble than the one he erected in Rome celebrating his ransacking of Jerusalem. Hadrian created his own city here in Athens, wanted to make it better than the Old Athens of Theseus.









 Completed the Temple of Zeus, which was bigger than the Parthenon. Bigger is better was the feeling. 

You know, you see human nature stays the course through the millenia.

Then climb up the hill to Anafiotika, reminicent of the Greek Islands. Now wealthy people live in this tiny homes, as Athens' is just outside your door, but this neighborhood is worlds away. 

Have no idea what home made sign says. But isn't it neat-to?

Lunch, another Greek Salad, espresso freddo. Mike had a cheese pie. 

And what is lunch without your own personal tiny olive tree on your table?










We leave, they clean up. Just the most charming neighborhood. 

Here you see what we walk on. Nothing is flat. Flagstones are missing, looks like they were taken intact, perhaps to build someone's own walkway?  You see the woman selling a white shawl. 1 euro last night, here 5 euros. And further down the street, 10 euros. 

The Agora. This was fascinating. As the Acropolis was Magnificent, a landing pad for the Gods so we humans could worship... this Agora was the magnet drawing all humans to gather and exchange - to sell, buy, trade or to talk, exchange ideas. Hear the news. Find out what's been discovered, what's been thought of. What the Romans are doing? It was the market for things and ideas. 

Think of how we are drawn to Facebook and the internet, to see what others are thinking and doing. And to buy. Well, here at the Agora, Athenians were drawn, for the same reason. We want to know what's going on. 

In 1950 they reconstructed what they think the Agora's main Stoa looked like. Bigger than a football field. Imagine being in the middle of hot, sunny, dusty Athens. No running water, no air conditioning, no TV. You would be drawn to this. Cool, majestic, not the hike up the Acropolis Hill. Wooden market stalls under the roof. Inside were government offices. 

Here's a boundary stone that says' Boundary of Agora', in Greek.
















And here's the stone with slots for jury selection- you came with your small bronze ID card (bottom left - it had your name, your father's name and your district). Put it in a slot. Black and white balls would go into a different slot, to choose who would serve on a jury. The bottom right is the ballots for the jurors to use, to choose a man's innocence or guilt.  Some have a slight indentation in the axle part - that meant innocent. 

You imagine St Paul must have stopped here at the Agora on his way to Rome? With the Parthenon over your shoulder, no wonder he spoke against idols and false gods. 

I'm standing on the Panthenaic Way, which leads up tpo the Acropolis.

Then we walked home. Yes there were areas of tons of people. Monastriki Square was packed with vendors hawking everything. Fruit, sunglasses, restaurants, chestnuts, Koulouri bread rings, shawls. And there are wandering tiny kids playing the accordions for money. Talented talented musicians lining the pedestrian walkways. Violin, cello combo. Guitarists, mandolins. But we were able to stroll through some truly elegant charming neighborhoods today. 

Such a different view of Athens. 

Energetic. 

Uplifting. 

Elegant, in a bustling city way.

I really liked it.